Monday, September 2, 2013

How Jesus Responded To Rabshakeh's And Sennacherib's Threats

For today's bible study we see pictured above Rabshakeh mocking and threatening the children of God and King Hezekiah. Notice that in the picture the children of God have no weapons to defend themselves against Rabshakeh and his soldiers carrying spears and shields. Rabshakeh fought for the King of Assyria named Sennacherib (defined as sin multiplied) and stated the following threat to King Hezekiah at 2 Kings 18:28 that says Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews language, and spake saying Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria (Sennacherib). Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you; for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand. Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.

Remember friend reading this anywhere when someone mocks and threatens you, that person is threatening the Lord Jesus and not you. This is proven by the scripture 1 Peter 4:14 that says If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you; on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified. Notice this bible verse says to always be happy and glorify Jesus while people speak evil about Jesus and not you. This bible study will show you how the Lord Jesus defends his saints from persecutors like Rabshakeh and Sennacherib. Jesus told us at John 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you. The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

Friend in any country, learn to rejoice when an enemy persecutes you for your belief in the Lord Jesus and leap for joy because Luke 6:22 says Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company; and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy; for, behold, your reward is great in heaven; for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. I pray in Jesus name we can have the joy of the apostles, who even after being beaten, always rejoiced and counted it a blessing to suffer shame for the name of Jesus. Acts 5:40 says And to him they agreed; and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

Now I will proceed to discuss who King Sennacherib was and where he lived as he threatened Israel. King Sennacherib lived in Nineveh which was a part of Assyria. Many years earlier, the prophet Jonah told the people of Nineveh to repent and Nineveh was blessed as the king and all the people turned from their wicked ways and lived. Jonah 3:6 says For the word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. Jonah 3:8 further states the king of Nineveh's blessed law and says But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God; yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.

We see proof that Sennacherib forgot about this blessed king of Nineveh who lived earlier in Nineveh and chose to live wickedly and threaten Israel. Sennacherib is mentioned at 2 Kings 19 and the prophet Jonah is seen preaching to Ninevah earlier at 2 Kings 14:25 that says He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath (defined as a city of Syria near Nineveh) unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher.

OK, the picture above shows us King Hezekiah's response after receiving the threatening letters from Rabshakeh and Sennacherib. King Hezekiah spread out the threatening letters before the Lord Jesus and sought assistance from only the Lord Jesus. Let us all be like King Hezekiah when we are threatened and persecuted for our belief in Jesus and seek assistance from Jesus only. As a result of Hezekiah's prayers, the prophet Isaiah was sent to Hezekiah and promised that King Sennacherib would do no harm to Israel.

The story about Hezekiah's prayer pictured above is found at 2 Kings 19:14 and says And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up into the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said, O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cheribums, thou art the God, even thou alone of all the kingdoms of the earth, thou hast made heaven and earth. Lord, bow down thine ear, and hear; open Lord, thine eyes, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib which hath sent him to reproach the living God. Of a truth Lord, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands. And have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them. Now therefore, O Lord, our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only.

The Lord Jesus answered king Hezekiah's prayer before he called unto God and had the prophet Isaiah send encouragement to Hezekiah. Friends be encouraged and like Hezekiah as we present our troubles to the Lord Jesus, Jesus has already heard us, and will give us an answer to solve all our problems. Isaiah 65:24 tells us And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. Also Jeremiah 33:3 says Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

Isaiah's earlier response to King Hezekiah's prayer is recorded at 2 Kings 19:5 and says So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard; with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me; Behold I will send a blast (defined as an angry wind of God's breath) upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land, and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.

Notice that the prophet Isaiah told Hezekiah that Sennacherib was blaspheming God and that God would blast Sennacherib. Remember, friend when an enemy blasphemes God, that enemy gets blasted by the Lord Jesus. This is why we need to pray for our enemies to repent to avoid sure destruction from an angry God. Hebrews 10:31 warns us It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Now after Hezekiah prayed, Isaiah further encouraged Hezekiah at 2 Kings 19:20 that says Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah saying, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard; (friends what a comfort to know that like Hezekiah God hears us when we pray) This is the word that the Lord hath spoken concerning him (Sennacherib); The virgin the daughter of Zion hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee. Notice that Isaiah encouraged Hezekiah and said you will be laughing as Sennacherib flees to be killed in his own homeland and not place one foot in the land of Israel. I claim in Jesus name for every saint being persecuted for Jesus that reads this, that like Hezekiah they will get the last laugh and the best laugh as they see the devil flee from every area of their lives.

Finally, look at the judgment that the prophet Isaiah pronounced against Sennacherib for his evil threats to Israel. 2 Kings 19:22 says Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah proclaimed that Sennacherib was reproaching the Lord Jesus and not Hezekiah. As a result, in the picture above, God fought for Israel and that same night after Hezekiah prayed, Sennacherib's army of 185000 men was destroyed by only one angel (note only one angel and not a legion of 6826 angels took out 185000 enemies) and Sennacherib fled to his homeland where his own two sons killed him, while another son took over his throne, as the other two sons escaped to Armenia.

The story of Sennacherib's defeat pictured above is recorded at 2 Kings 19:35 and says And it came to pass that night (God answered Hezekiah's prayer quickly that same night), that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians 185000; and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses; So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia; And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

For my last picture today we see a little Jew standing on a sand dune in Israel shaking his fist at the Arabs and telling the Arabs to leave Israel alone. The Arabs said send 10 men to that sand dune and kill that little Jew. After the Arabs heard screaming and hollering on the other side of the sand dune, the little Jew got up again on the sand dune and said I told you Arabs to leave Israel alone. The Arabs then sent 100 men to the sand dune to kill the little Jew and the same result occurred and the little Jew again got up on the sand dune and said I told you Arabs to leave Israel alone. Finally, the Arabs said send over an army of 10000 Arabs to silence that little Jew and after more screaming and hollering, two little Arabs climbed the sand dune and said go back go back there's 2 of them. You see God was fighting the battle for the little Jew and Jesus as God will always defend little Israel.

The bible tells us at Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper that love thee. Remember, friend in any country, pray that your country will defend Israel and God will bless your country because Israel is God's country. God will always protect little Israel no matter how many large Arab countries surround and try to conquer Israel. When you get a chance watch the movie against all odds, in search of a miracle and watch how God saved the Israeli soldiers by creating a wind that uncovered thousands of mines in a field, allowing the Israeli soldiers to walk safely through the mines. This movie proves that God defends Israel and we should all pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

As always, Brother Bob enjoys writing these bible studies and I pray in Jesus name they give my friends everywhere great peace. Feel free to email Brother Bob anytime at rz8tlm@yahoo.com or write to Brother Bob Malkin, 2233 Pinetree Lane, Apt. N., Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068. (614) 604-7133. Till we all meet again soon to lift up our Lord Jesus, everyone have a blessed day in Jesus name.